Kenosha

Formed January 1, 1850 (30^th county)

Kenosha County (169,156), Kenosha (99,979)

The Neo-Classical masonry and concrete courthouse was erected in 1925.  It is located on 56^th Street at Sheridan Avenue.  Wisconsin State Highway 32 is Sheridan Avenue.  Joseph Lindl, Charles Lesser & Albert J. Schutte combined on the designs.  The building features columns.  There has been an 1885 version of the courthouse in Kenosha, the only county seat.  The county was organized on January 1, 1850 from Racine County as the 30^th county.  The county and county seat were named for the Native American word for “pike.” 

Kenosha County government consists of a sheriff, an Executive, and 23 Supervisors.  Seven Circuit Court Judges and Ten Municipal Court Judges serve Kenosha County.  The county is situated in the southeast corner of the state.  Lake Michigan is its eastern border and Illinois is its southern border.  Milwaukee, Wisconsin is north and Madison, Wisconsin is northwest of the county.  The county center is 9.4 miles West of Kenosha nearer Woodworth.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Racine County and Michigan and Illinois and Walworth County. 

The area of the county is 272 square miles.  It is 69 out of 72 in the state.  It ranks 8 out of 72 in population in the state.  It has a density of 621.9 persons per square mile making it 3 out of 72 in the state.  Kenosha County has 93.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 94 crosses through the county from north to south from Racine County to Illinois.  United States Highway 41 is joined with Interstate Highway 94 from Racine County to Illinois.  The county is a rectangle with the northwest corner cut away.  The City of Kenosha is located on the eastern lake border of the county.  Kenosha is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 59.1% of the county population.  The county and county seat are pronounced KE-NOE-SHA.  This county is in the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet Metropolitan Statistical Area.